Evening - Page 9

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It was exam cram time. Mid-terms. Our class had already lost 7 students and W3 had threatened to execute anyone who failed the test. I was kinda, like, worried; but only a little because I'm not sure that she knows anything that can really hurt me.

But just in case, I decided to study.

I was trying to find someone else in class to study with, ya know, but most of them were useless.

"We're doomed, doomed!"

"But don't you want to study, just in case? I mean there's still, like, a chance you could pass."

"DOOOOOOMED!"

Some of the guys in my class were more practical.

"Like, what are you doing?"

"Ack! Phew! Just you Yog, thought it was Sideous or something."

"Nah, just trying to find someone to study with. Are you trying to build a tunnel?"

"Well, I thought it was more productive than blubbering like Cinderella."

"You have a point there...but, like, there are supposed to be crypts that connect to the basement ya know."

"Nah, that's just a..."

Right then a bit of the floor where Peter was working gave way. A thin, dirty hand shot up through the opening and grabbed one of his legs.

"Aaaaargh!"

I guess that made 8 students we had lost, but I'm not sure if I should chalk that one up to the school or something else.

As I was studying in the library one day, I noticed Herb sitting off in a nook by himself. Looking closer I thought that he seemed much less, like, jumpy than the rest of the class. Almost dreamy, sitting there and staring out the window.

I oozed over to him.

"Hey Herb! Are you studying for the big exams?"

"Eh?"

He squinted at me. I noticed his eyes were kinda red looking and there was a box of Kleenexes next to him.

"The test? You know - the one that WWW threatened to turn people into toads for?"

"Oh, I suppose your roight..."

"What are you reading dood?"

Erb grabbed the books near him and shoved them under the table. I rolled my eye-stalk.

"Ow nothin! Did you wanna study for the exam or wha?"

I oozed onto a chair opposite him and plopped my books down.

"Well I thought we should study for Xener's test first, since he's managed to take out 3 people so far..."

While I had him distracted, I formed another eye-stalk and peeked under the table at the books he had.

"Poetry? We're one week away from certain tests and possible death and you're reading poetry?"

Erb's face had turned red as he ducked under the table and came face-to-eye with me. He grabbed his books and was about to set off in a huff when I chimed in with.

"Besides, how can you read that dreck? You should check out something by Burns or Browning or Frost."

Herbert cocked his head to the side.

"Ooooh now?"

That's how I lost a good two hours of would-be study time. Discussing poetry with Herbert. Sheesh. To top it all off, Xema came by.

"What are you doing with my boyfriend?"

Her voice was like, between a roar and whine. I don't know how Herbert could stand it.

"Oh we were just talking about poetry. Right Erb?"

But Herbert had on his "soulful" look. As a matter of fact, he was soulfully looking at me. He didn't seem to hear Xema.

Xema, for her part, glared down at the pile of books between us.

"All that stuff is for fags!"

She swept all the stuff off the table with her broad-sword, grabbed Herb with her other hand, brought the sword up as if to swing at me, thought better of it and stormed off.

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